Goertz went, and
with him another. Then Kramer yes but Kramer, that was different!"

Halloran was curious. "What happened to Kramer?" he asked. And the
German told him a strange story. Kramer was a queer mountebank sort of
a chap who before conscription claimed him had been clown in a circus,
and his antics and gymnastic feats had made him very popular with his
fellow-troopers. He had been a good soldier too; and when he had become
separated from his fellow-trooper in a sandstorm a day or more south of
Swakopmund, and his companion had struggled through without him, no
effort had been spared in searching for the missing man. But to no
purpose; months passed and he had been almost forgotten. And then, to
every one's surprise, he had one day turned up, safe and sound, at the
camp. He was nearly naked, and bore traces of having lived like a
savage, and the lieutenant believed that he had become affected by his
privations and was slightly mad. At any rate, he had told a strange and
improbable story. Lost in the drifting sands, he had struggled on he
knew not whither until his horse dropped, then on foot, and, with all
sense of direction utterly lost, he had staggered on till tired nature
gave out and he sank to the ground in a dead faint. The storm must have
abated shortly after, for he woke to find himself nearly buried but
with the air clearer, and, somewhat refreshed, he had again moved on,
until, water gone and nearly dead, he had eventually staggered clear of
the sands and right into the arms of a number of Bushmen. For some
reason they had spared his life. Later his acrobatic feats had made him
even popular with them. His story went on to tell of a well-wooded
oasis where the Bushmen lived, with water and game in plenty.

"All this is probably true," said the lieutenant, "but his brain must
have been somewhat turned, for he declared that in this oasis the
Bushmen's children made playthings of big rough diamonds the size of
walnuts!" Kramer had watched for an opportunity to escape, but when it
came he had had no chance of bringing away any of the stones, as the
Bushmen had a vague idea that the white men valued them highly and that
if they knew of their presence in the oasis their refuge would soon be
lost to them. "He stuck to his tale," said the lieutenant, "and his
great idea was that I should help him to go back with a strong
expedition as soon as his time of service expired, and he would make me
a rich man. Of co